Animal-trap.



c. MILLER. ANIMAL TLA?. APPLIUATION vFILED JULYIB, 1912. A

Patented 'Feb.1l, 1913.

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CLIFTON MILLER, F BBOKSVILLE, KENTUCKYv ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb.' 11, 191.3.

Application ii1ed'3u1y 13, 1912. Serial No. 709,246.

T0 all whom it may concern.' 'f

Be it known that I, CLiFToN MILLER, a

Acitizen of the United States, residing at Brooksville, in the county 'of Bracken and -State of ,Kentucky., have invented .certain new'anduseful Improvements in Animal- Traps', of which' the following is' a specification, V'reference bein'g had to the accompanying drawings. t y

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvementsv iii animal traps and relates more particularly to. 'traps of the type generally Vdesignated as'victim-set. The primary object of the invention is to provide a trap ofi-his type Whichfshall be extremely `simple in construction, cheapv to manufacture, efficient' in voperation and which shall be automatically operated soas to catch and retain a plurality of animals.

The invention also aims to' generally im prove devices of ,this nature to render them more useful and commercially'desirable.

l/Vith-these and other objects in" View, as

shall become more apparent as the descrip- Vtion proceeds, .the invention consists vin certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts asl shall hereinafter i pearsv lwhen set.

fully describe and claim.-

In the embodiment of my invention, I provide an entrance cage and aretaining cage, said cages being connected by an oscillating lchute'which is automatically operated to open and close said cages at'lthe proper time;

For a'complete understanding of my invention reference is to be had to the following Adescriptio-n and accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1' is a'longitudinal sectional view, showing ley-dotted lines the trap as it ap- Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on :the plane'of line 2'-`2 of Fig.

' 'scription and accompanying drawingsl by 1,'and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the plane of vline 3 3 yof Fig. 1.. y

Similar parts are referred to'in the delike reference characters.

vReferring to the drawingby numerals, l designates a base, upon'oneA end of which 'is positioned -an entrance cage or compartment 2 and upon the other endl of which isy mounted a retaining .cage or'compart'ment 3which has its inner wall 4 formed with a central opening. The side walls of the entrance cage 2 arey providednwithgcircular openings and the inner end wall 7 41s formed with la transverse openl 8. A. chute 9, rectangular in cross section and open at each end, is positioned longitudinally of the base 1 and extends between the cages 2 and -3 and provides a connecting passage therebetween. A U-sha'ped support 10- is secured to the base 1 and is pivotally connected at itsends to t-he under side of the chute 9, so that Vthe latter is free to oscillate. A tilting platform 11 is positioned Within the cage 2 and is pivotally connected adjacent its in'ner edge to the ears 12 which. are secured to the. basel 1. This platformfcarries secured ,to its underside a rearwardly and upwardly extending 'connecting rod 13 which is formed with a longitudinal slotlft in its free end. A pin 15 carried bythe depending arm 16' which is connected .to the underside of the chu-te 9, works within the slot14 and forms a sliding connection betweenthe platform 1l is supported at an angle to the base 1 by the trigger' 17,' which is formed with'a shoulder to engage the underside of the platform ladjacent its front edge. The trigger 17 is pivotally secured to the basel and is normally forced'` inwardly bythe I coil spring 18, which ls connected at one of:

vits ends to the base and at its other end to the trigger. A

Side pieces 19 arecarried by the chute 9 and project longitudinally beyond one end thereof. These side pieces are enlarged 'at their outer ends' and are ,fort-he purpose of closing the entrance opening 6 when lthetrap l It is thought that the foregoing description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing willl be sutlicient to makel clear the construction of my improyed' trap,

which operaties as follows: When the parts are ypositioned,as shown' by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, the trap isset and access maybe had to the cage 2, either through the openings 6 or 8. lAn animalfin endeavoring to reach the bait 20 will be forced, to ascend the platform 11 and when, by nibbling lthe bait, it releases theplatform from engagement with the shoulderof the trigger, saidv platform 'will 'swing downwardly into -a horizontal'plan'e. l This downward motion raises the rod 13 whicl1,because of its sliding connection with the chute 9, tilts the same so as,tobring its forward end into 'registry with the Iopening. 8, in which posiings 6.

tionthe side pieces 19 will cover the openendeavor to escape by passing through the chutel 9, which after the animal has passed vthe pivotal support l0, will swing into a horizontal plane closing the forward end of the chute and bringing the rear end into registry with the .opening 5. The animal will then pass into the 'cage 3 and the trap is set for its next victim. v

The hood 21 and an inwardly projecting flange 22 guard the opening 5 and prevent any escape therethrough. A door 23 pro- ;inimal.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, Ido not wish to he .limited to the exact construction and ar- 'rangement of parts herein shown and de- 'vides means for withdrawingl the caged fr scribed, but may make such modifications as fall within the scope and spirit of the invention',

-What is claimed is:

l. A trap comprising spaced compartments having openings in their opposed walls, a chute piv'otallyi` mounted between said compartments, one o -which is provided with additional entrance openings,

means mounted in the last mentioned compart-ment and connected to said chute,.said means being actuated by an animal to tilt the vchute and bring one end into registra- 'tionwith one of the openings in the e11- trance compartment, the weight of the anilmal passing through said chute serving to -tilt the same so as to bring its other end int-o registration with the opening in the second compartment, and plates formed by longitudinally extending the side walls of the chute at one end, said plates being adapted to clo-se the entrance openingslin the entrance compartment.

2. An .animal trap comprising a base, spaced compartments secured to the base at opposite ends thereof and formed with openings `in their". opposed walls, one of lsaid compartments being provided with additional entrance openings, a chute pivotally mounted between said compartments,

'and adapted to have its ends alternately registered with the openings in the opposed ends of the respective compartments, a tiit- The entrapped animal will therg ing platform mounted within the entrance compartment, means for normally suppi'irt-- ing said piatform in its inclined position, a connecting rod rigidly secured at one end to said platform and slidably coniiectedat .f the entrance openings in the entrance com partmentu l 3. A trap comprising a base, an entrance compartment mounted on said base ad]acent one end thereof, a retaining compartment' carried by said base adjacent the other' ,end thereof, said compartments being formed wit-li openings in their opposed end walls,

'the entrance compartment being provided with additional-openings in the side walls thereof, achute pivotally connected intermediate its ends and positioned between said compartments, a tilting platform positioned within the entrance compartment, a spring pressed trigger' adapted-to norinally retain said platform in an inclined position, a rearwardly and upwardly `tending arm rigidly secured at one end to said platform and slidably connected at its other end to said chute, and side plates cai` ried by the chute and adapted to close the entrance openings inthe entrance cage, said platform being adapted to be actuated by an animal to tilt the chute' and bring one of its ends opposite the opening in the end wall of the entrance compartment, the weight of the animal passing through said chute oscillating the same to bring its other end opposite the opening in the retaining v compartment.

- In testimony whereof I hereunto adir my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDDIE THOMPSON, JOHN' It. THoMrsoN, 

